Bunch-building spinning mule



Nov. 27, 1928.

S. F. ROCKWELL ET AL BUNCH BUILDING SPINNING MULE m om mm r. 9) 0? zaw L i 1 a .m mm mm F m k mm Q 7 u, v w m n 3. mm e u o a J .W mm. a r s. r 5 5 m 1- mm F ww E n 7/ Z w m. N mm of .m N I \h w mm P I Y 9. NM WW m mm m Wm an H w Mm I. 0w L: v o 8 wm T0 OP T .m U Q .WP M. Q 2. F m. N n.

Samuel F. Rockwell Joseph W Randall AM'ys Nov. 27, 1928.

5 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1925 2v mm nv L vn 5. F. ROCKWELL ET AL BUNCH BUILDING SPINNING MULE Inventors. Samuel F. Rockwell Joseph W. FicndcaH Aif ys.

S. F. ROCKWELL ET L BUNCH BUILDING SPINNING MOLE File d Feb. 9, 1925 iSheets-Sheet 5 4 e- =P 4 -1\r "in-J I 1 F I Fig. 7.

Inventors. 5ornue\ F. Rockwell Joseph W, Rondo Patented Nov. 27,1928.

UNITED STATES I I 1,692,866 PATENT OFFICE;

SAMUEL F. ROCKWELL AND J OSEBH W. RANDALLQOF NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO DAVIS 80 FURBER MACHINE COMPANY, OF NORTH ANDOVER,

MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

BUNCH-BUILDING srmirme Morn.

Application filed February This invention relates to the well-known spinning mule employed for spinning various fibres, but more particularly wool fibre, and has for its object the embodiment of means for building or forming a bunch or compact mass of yarn on the yarn receivers or bobbins during the winding operation, so that these yarn receivers are ready for use in-an automatic filling replenishing loom when removed from the mule without rewinding or other operation.

In the automatic filling replenishing looms now extensively used in the weaving ofcloth, automatic mechanism is provided which acts, when the yarn in running shuttle is substantially exhausted, to discharge the yarn receiver or fillin carrier from the loom and sub-stituteiherefhr a fresh yarn receiver or filling carrier, usually without stopping the loom. Thus perfect cloth is woven without missing a pi k. In order to do this, the loom is commonly provided with a feeler mecha nism. In the operation of this feeler mechanism a feeler device constantly or intermittently feels against the mass of filling on the yarn receiver or filling carrier in the running shuttle, usually at every other heatup of the lay; WVhen the filling has become exhausted to such an extent that only enough remains to make one. or more picks, a movement of the feeler is induced thereby which sets into operation the filling changing meclr anism and effectsreplenishment. Any yarn remaining upon the discharged filling carrier after replenishment islargely wasted. At best it has to be removed from the filling carrier and re-spun. It is obviously desirable, therefore, that indication of substantial exhaustion by the feeler mechanism shall only take place when just sufficient remains u on the filling carrier't'o'make the necessary pick or picks required before replenishment takes place. But the ordinary filling wind placed upon the filling carrier by the spinning operation is of such a character that the movement of the fee'ler necessary to initiate filling replenishment will not take place surely and at the same time leave the minimum requisite amount of yarn on the filling carrier. To obviate this difiiculty it has been common heretofore to build or form a bunch or small compact mass of yarn at the be ginning of the spinning operation on the filling carrier or yarn receiver. This bunch 9, 1925. SeIiaI NO. 7,787.

is of sufiicient inassto effect the required vrequired'before filling replenishment takes place.

Heretofore no means have been provided for the building of such a bunch when yarn is spun on the mule, which is universally used in spinning wool and largely used in spinning other fibres,

The obJect of the present invention is to provide, in connection with the spinning mule, means for forming such a bunch so that when the yarn receivers or filling carriers are taken from the mule, they are ready without re-winding or other operatrons to be used in the automatic filling changing loom and control filling replenishment without any material wastage of yarn.

This and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from'the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in'the claims.

As the spinning mule in its various forms is very old in the textile art and its construction and operation is familiar to those-skilled in the art, and as the present invention relates to but one feature in the construction and operation of the mule, it will be nece$ary here .to illustrate and describe the construction and operation of the mule only so far as it is directly concerned with the present the central section of a spinning mule,

builder rail, pick motion and associated parts, the central portion being broken away and the rearward portion of the carriage and ,the rear frame being omitted, a preferred form of the present invention being shown in connection therewith.

1 Fig. 2 is a detail in front elevation showing a portion of the carriage and the pick motion.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation on a smaller scale showing the construction of the builder rail,

- support-ing shoes, etc.

well known and familar manner.

'Fig. 4 is a top plan view on a large scale of the rear portion of the construction shown in Fig. 3. i a v Fig. 5 is a detail in side elevation of the builder rail supporting shoe embodying a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing indicated in Fig. 1, but as the means for supporting and moving the carriage form nopart of the present invention, theyare not shown, nor is the. rear frame of the machine shown. I

The yarn receivers or filling carriers, one

of which is shown as a bobbin 3, are mounted upon the spindles 4 rotatably mounted in the carriage. These spindles are rotated through the whirls 5 in the usual manner and by any suitable means. The carriage at the front has connected thereto the brackets or standardsfi through which extend horizontally the tension faller shaft 7 and the winding faller shaft 8. Qne of the tension fallers 9, with its faller wire 10, is shown in Fig. 1. The winding fallers 11 extend from the faller shaft 8 and support at their free ends the winding faller wire 12.

In the usual operation of the mules, the carriage usually moves forward with the spindles rotating in one direction or the other drawing the yarn 13 from the draft rolls 2 and putting in the twist. l/Vhen the carriage reaches its front position, the spin dles are usually speeded up to put a further a twist in the yarn. the carriage recedes as the yarn shortens with the twist, the spindles are .then reversed to unwind the yarn on "the tip of the spindle and then the carriage spindles rotating for this purpose. The pres-' moves back to effect the winding operation of the yarn thus. spun on the bobbins, the

out invention is concerned entirely with the winding operation, which, as noted, takes place with the carriage moving backward and with the spindles rotating. In order to lay the yarn properly on the bobbins durin this winding operation, a traverse motion 0 the yarn with respect to the spindles must be effected. This traverse motion is secured by the winding fallers ll and the faller wire 12.

The yarn leads from the draft rolls 2 over the tension faller wire 10, down under the winding faller wire 12 and thence to the bobbins 3. An up and down movement of the winddown toward the floor 16 at its lower end 1 and at its upper end is pivoted at 17 to a gooseneck 18 rigidly connected to the winding faller shaft 8. It will thus be seen that an up and down movement of the faller leg 14 will effect the required traverse motion.

The up and down movement of the faller leg 14 during the'winding operation is secured from the builder lever 19. This lever extends rearwardly and is pivoted-at its rear end on the carriage in the usual manner. At its forward end it presents a guide arm 20 sliding in a vertical guideway formed by the guide block 21 bolted at 22 to the front of the carriage 1, At its extreme forward end the builder lever is provided with a laterally extending square stud 23, upon which a shoulder 24 near the bottom of the faller leg 14 rests. A roller 25, journalled near the forward end of the builder lever 19, rides upon the top surface of a builder rail 26. This builder rail extends fore and aft or longitudinally of the path of travel of the carriage 1. Consequently as the carriage travels backwardly during the winding operation, the traverse motion of the yarn as it is wound upon the bobbinsor yarn receivers will be controlled by theposition of the builder rail.

Each time the carriage moves from its its front osition back in the winding operation, i

, one raw of yarn of, say, about six feet in length is laid'in a single traverse upon the bobbin or yarn' receiver. lVhen. as is the case in connection with the present invention, the bobbins are wound with a filling or weft wind such as is employed in bobbins tobe used in carrying the filling for weaving cloth, these traverses of yarn are laid upon the bobbins in successive superposed conical layers beginning at the bottom or base of the bobbin. Consequently the builder rail is higher at the forward end than at the rearward end so that'as the carriage moves backward, the faller wire 12 is traversed from the bottom upwardly a predctermineddistance. Each time the carriage moves forward the builder rail must therefore be bodily lowered in order to effect the required gain or advance of the traverse upwardly with respect to the bobbin. The mechanism employed for effecting this general operation in the type of mule illustrated is as follows.

Beneath the builder rail at the front and rear ends thereof, base plates 27 and 28 are rigidly secured in longitudinal alignment to the floor 16. These base plates are provided with longitudinal guideways 29. In the base plate 28 a shoe base 30 is mounted to slide in 1,ce2,see

and threaded at its rear end and locked by standing lug 38 from the onsequently the two shoe move together in the The builder rail nuts 37 in an u shoe base 30.

bases with their shoes ways in the base plates.

at the forward end is provided with a transverse lug 39 resting upon the shoes 33 and, in the form illustrated, lfe builder rail is provided at the rear end with an adjusting bracket 40, having a transverse lug 41 which, during the normal winding operation, rests upon the shoes 31. This adjusting bracket is pivoted at its rear end at 42 to the builder rail, extends beneath the builder rail and is vertically adjustable thereon by means of the set screw 43.

Longitudinal movement of the builder rail I with respect to the bases and the floor is pretrated in detail in Figs.

tionally weighted at vented by a stud 44 versely through the which projects transbuilder rail and rides in a vertical slot 45 in a standard 46 secured to the front base 28. It will thus be seen that as the shoes 33 and 31 are shifted, the builder rail is bodily raised and lowered,

in order to effect the lowering of the builder rail at each movement of the carriage so as to shift the traverse of the yarn upwardly on the bobbins, a pick motion is provided for shifting the shoesirearwardly step by step. I

The pick motion here employed is illus- 1 and 2. A vertical standard 47, having a base plate 48, is secured by bolts 49 to the front base plate 27. A shaft 50 is rotatably mounted in the standard 47 and has asrearwardly extending threaded portion 51 threaded into a lug 52 mounted at 53 on the shoe 33. Consequently rotation of this shaft 50, which is fixed against longitudinal movement in the stand ard 47, will move lhis shaft 50 has rigidly secured thereto a gear 54. An elbow lever 55 is loosely fulcrumed on the shaft 51 adjacent the gear 54 and has journalled in its lower end a connected pinion 56 and ratchet wheel 57 A.

pawl 58 is pivoted at 59 to the upper arm of the elbowlever 55 and engages the ratchet wheel 57! The elbow lever tendsto swing downwardly by reason of the weight of the pinion 56 and ratchet wheel 57 and is addi 60 for this purpose. Thedownward limit of the movement of the elbowlever 55 is adjustably determined by contact of the projecting end of the pivot stud of the pinion 56fwith a the standard base the shoes longitudinally.

stop plate 61 vertically adjustable on the vertical screw standard 62 and held in adjusted position by the nut 63. in a' fore and aft direction is fulcrumed at 65 on a rearwardly extending projection 66 from the standard 47. its front end has pivoted thereto at 67 a link 68, in turn pivotally connected at its lower end at 69to the downwardly 'extending arm of the elbow lever 55. A hunter arm 70 is adjustably and set screw72connection in a guideway 73 in the lowerend of" the guide block 21. This bunter arm c'arriesat its forward end vertically adjustable in the slot 74 a transverse stud 75 on which is mounted a roller 76. Each time the carriage comes forwardly, this roller 7 6,'riding onthe rearward end of the strike lever 64, depresses the rearward end of this lever and through the connections described rocks the elbow lever 55, bodily raising the pinion 56 and the ratchet wheel 57 but as the ratchet wheel is lo ked by the pawl 58, the pinion 56 is locked to the gear 54 and consequently the gear 54 is rotated, rotating the screw 51 and moving the shoes 'rearwardly a distance determined by the adjustments provided. As the carriage moves backwardly and the striker lever 64 is released, the weighted elbow lever drops. A friction block 77 on 48 engages the gear 54 so that as the elbow lever 55 drops, the gear 54 being held against rotation, the pinion 56 and ratchet wheel tion without rotating the shaft 50.

In the present invention, in order to'build the required bunch, preferably at the base of the bobbin, the traverse motion between the winding faller. and the spindles carrying the yarn receivers is retarded so that for a predetermined number of traverses or during the. laying of a predetermined number of .draws upon the yarn receivers the yarn is crowded intoa small, compact mass.

A striker lever 64 extending.

This striker lever at mounted by a slot 71 rotate to a new posi- While this result may be effected within the plane or at any required degree of inclina- 131011 or at IOOI'BSSIVG de rees of inclination, as desired, so as to effect the" required retardation during the preliminary traverses. This will depend largelyv upon the characterof the yarn being spun and the size ofthe bunch required.

In the preferred form illustrated in Figs.

1a inclusive, in the drawings, an auxiliary shoe 78 is mounted to slide vertically on guide studs 79 mounted in the rear shoe 31. This auxiliary shoe, at the beginning of the winding operation, projects above the top surface of the shoe 31, and the stud 11 at the rear end of the builder rail rests thereupon instead of upon the regular shoe 31. The length and shape f the top surface of this auxilaryshoe and the extent to which it projects above the surface of the regular shoe will, in connection with the surface of the front shoe 33, determine the position of the builder rail during the preliminary traverses and may be arranged to effect any desired de gree of retardation of the traverse. In the construction illustrated, a bell crank lever 80 is fulcrumed at 81 on the shoe 31 with its rearwardly extending arm supporting the auxiliary shoe 78 and its downwardly extending arm abutting a stop plate 82 "adj 11st ably mounted by the slot 83 and set screw 84; connection on the floor base plate 28. In this form at each reciprocation ofythe carriage as the pick motion advances the shoe 31 rearwardly, the fulcrum point 81 of the bell crank lever 80 is carried rearwardly with respect to the stop plate 82 and consequently the auxiliary shoe 78 is lowered so that'the extent of retardation of the traverse is accordingly decreased, and this decrease in retardation progressively continues until the auxiliary shoeis lowered to the level of the surface of the regular shoe 31 and the builder rail resumes its support from the regular shoe 31, asshown'in Fig. 3, when the traverse motion proceeds in the usual manner.

It will thus be seen that in this form'of construction means are provided for shifting the auxiliary shoe during a predetermined number of preliminary traverses, according to the requirements and as provided by the various adjustments, at each operation of the pick motion until the regular shoe-resumes support of the builder rail, thus crowding the yarn in a bunch on the yarn receivers at the beginning of the winding operation, and accordingly increasing the length of traverse until that normally prevailing under the operation of the regular shoes is reached. In other words, means are provided forgiving a relatively short traverse niotion-ofany required extent, or in fact, no traverse at all, between the winding faller and the yarn receivers at the beginning of the winding operation to crowd the yarn into a bunch at the base of the receivers and for thereafter giving a relatively long traverse motion for winding the bodv of the yarn on the receivers.

Other forms of auxiliary shoes which enable the main features of the invention to be secured and provide for variations in the character of the bunch are illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. But it is to be understood not to be restricted in its scope other than as set forth in the claims.

In Fig. 5, the auxiliary shoe comprises a suitably shaped cam block 85 secured in position by set screws 86 to the upper surface of the shoe 31. The surface of this cam block merges into the surface of the main shoe 31. The shape, size and position of the bunch is therefore determined by the shape and size-and position on the main shoe 31 of this cam block 85.

In Fig. 6, the auxiliary shoe 87 is in the form of a lever fulcrumed at 88 on the main shoe 31. Astop plate 89 is adjustably mounted on the floor base plate 28, as in the first construction described. A. spring 90 holds the lower arm of the auxilary shoe toward the stop plate. A stud 91 limits the clockwise movementof the auxilary shoe. At the beginning-with a new set of filling carriers, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6, so that the size, shape and position of that part of the auxiliary shoe projecting above the top surface of the main shoe determines the size, shape and position of the bunch. As the winding of the set proceeds and the pick motion feeds the shoes rearwardly, theauxiliary shoe 87 swings step by step clockwise about its fulcrum 88 until its upper surface coincides with the upper surface of the shoe 3-1.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7, the auxilary shoe 92 is in the form of a plate adjustably mounted by the set screw -93 on the main shoe 31, and so shaped that different portions of its periphery may be :positioned above the surface of the main shoe 31 to determine the size, shape and position of the bunch. This plate may be of any desired shape and is conveniently shown as circular and as pivoted eccentrically to secure the desired results.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A spinning mule comprising a movable carriage,yarn receivers rotatably mounted thereon, means to move the carriage forwardly to draw the yarn and rearwardly to wind the yarn on the yarn receivers, a faller on the carriage moveable to effect the regui-red traverse of the yarn during the wind mg operation, and means temporarily to retard the traverse movement of the faller, thereby to forma bunch on the yarn receiver during such retardation.

2. A spinning mule comprising a carriage,

means to move the carriage forwardly during the spinning operation and rearwardly tit! iii)

during the winding operation, yarn receivers rotatably mounted on the carriage, means to wind the yarn thereon during the rearward movement of the carriage, a winding taller mounted on the carriage and movable to effeet the required traverse of the yarn, and

means for giving a relatively short traverse motion between the winding taller and the arn receivers at the beginning of the windlng operation to crowd the yarn into a bunch at the base of the receivers and for thereafter giving a relatively long traverse motion for winding the body of the yarn on the receivers.

3. A spinning'mule comprising a carriage, means to move the carriage forwardly during the spinning operation and rearwardly during the winding operation, yarn receivers rotatably mounted on the carriage, means to wind the yarn thereon during the rearward movement of the carriage, a winding taller mounted onthe carriage and movable to effect the required traverse of the yarn, means for giving a relative traverse motion to the winding taller and yarn receivers, and means for retarding the traverse motion for a predetermined period during the first part of the winding operation to cause the yarn to form a bunch near the base of the yarn receivers.

a. A spinning mule comprising a carriage, means to move the carriage forwardly during the spinning operation and rearwardly durin the winding operation, yarn receivers rotata ly mounted on the carriage, means to wind the yarn thereon during the rearward movement of the carriage, a winding faller mounted on the carriage and movable to effeet the required traverse of the'yarn, a builder rail extending lengthwise of the path of movement of the carriage, and means on the carriage and builder rail cooperating during the backward movement of the carriage to effect a relatively short traverse motion between the winding taller and the yarn receivers at the beginning of the winding operation to crowd the yarn into a bunch at the base of the receivers andfor thereafter giving a relatively long traverse motion for winding the body of the yarn on the receivers,

5. A spinning mule comprising a carriage, means to move the carriage forwardly during the spinning operation and rearwardly during the winding operation, yarn receivers rotatably mounted on the carriage, means to wind the yarn thereon during the rearward movement of the carriage, a winding faller mounted on the carriage and movable to ef- "feet the required traverse of the yarn, a

builder rail extending lengthwise of the path of movement of the carriage and controlling the traverse motion of the winding faller, shoes supporting the ends of the builder rail and movable to vary the position of the builder shoes, and 0 movement of the shoes, and an auxiliary shoe to support one end of the builder rail at the I beginning of the winding operation thereby to effect retardation of the traverse motion of the winding fallei" until a bunch is formed on the yarn receiver, conclusion of the formation of the said bunch resuming its support from the regular shoes. i

6. A' spinning mule comprising the coils'truction defined in claim 5, together with means for shifting the'position of the auxiliary shoe with respect to the regular shoe at each operation of the pick motion gradually to increase the length of traverse during the buildingof the bunch; I

7. A spinning mule comprising the con; struction defined in claim 5, together with means for shifting the position ofvthe auxiliary shoe with respect to the re llar shoe at each operation of the pick motion until the re lar shoe resumes support of the builder rail, thus gradually increasing the length of traverse to that eifected by the regular shoes.

8. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, builder shoes suporting said rail, a faller leg controlled by said rail, faller wires controlled by said leg, adapted to support said rail independently of said first named shoes, means for holding said supplemental shoe in operative position, and automatically operable'means for withdrawing said holding means, said automatically operable means being adapted to withdraw said supporting means after a predetermined number of draws.

9. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, builder shoes supporting said rail, a faller leg controlled by said rail, fallen wires con trolled by said leg, a supplemental shoe adapted to support a portion of said rail the builder rail at the;

a supplemental shoe independently of said first named shoes, a

builder rod connected tosaid first named erative mechanism controlled by said bui after a predetermined number of draws to render said supplemental shoe inoperative.

10. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, a plurality of shoes supporting said rail, a

der rod and operative uilder rod controlling said shoes, a supplemental shoe for said rail, means for moving said supplemental shoe to operative position and for supporting said shoe in engage and support the rail, an operative connections between said rod and said moving and supporting means for automatically rendering said supplemental shoe inopere ative after a predetermined number of draws.

11, In a spinning mule, 'a builder rail, a shoe adapted to engage and support said rail, means for moving said shoe to operative position and for holding the shoe in operative position, and automatically operable control means for rendering said shoe inosition to operative after a predetermined number of draws.

- 12. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, a shoe adapted to engage and support said rail, means for moving said, shoe to operative position and for holding the shoe in operative position, and automatically operable control means for said shoe moving and sup porting means for rendering said shoe inoperative after a predetermined number of draws.

13. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, a shoe for engaging and supporting said rail, a supplemental shoe disposed side by side with said first shoe, means for moving said supplemental shoe intoengagement with the rail, whereby the rail will be supported thereby, and means automatically operable after a predetermined number of draws for rendering said supplemental shoeinoperative and said first shoe operative to support the rail.

14. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, a bunch builder shoe adapted to engage and support said rail, means for moving the shoe to and supporting the shoe in operative positlon, and means for building a bunch of a desired size and for rendering said shoe thereafter inoperative.

15. In a mule spinning machine, a builder rail, builder shoes supporting said rail, a faller leg adapted to be supported by said rail, faller wirescontrolled by said leg, a supplemental shoe adapted to support said rail independently of said first named shoes, and adjustable means for holding said sup plemental shoe in operative position.

16. In a mule spinning machine, a builder rail, builder shoes supporting saidrail, a faller leg controlled by said rail, faller wires controlled by said leg, asupplemental shoe adapted to support said rail independently of said first named shoes, adjustable means for holding said supplemental shoe in operative position, and automatically operable means for Withdrawing said holding means 17. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, builder shoes supporting said rail, a fa-ller leg controlled by said rail, faller wires controlled by said leg, a supplemental shoe adapted to support said rail independently of said first named shoes, means for moving said supplemental shoe to and for retaining the shoe in operative position, and automatically operable control means for rendering said supplemental shoe moving and retaining means inoperative to support the shoe.

18. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, a bunch builder shoe adapted to engage and support said rail, means for moving the shoe to and supporting the shoe in operative position, a lever actuated at each draw and means controlled by said lever for automati cally rendering said bunch builder shoerinoperative after a predetermined number of draws. r

19. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, means to engage and support said rail in an abnor mal position in which said rail is effective to cause a bunch to be wound on a. bobbin or cop in said mule, and automatically operated means effective to restore said rail to normal running position after a predetermined number of draws.

20. In a spinning mule, a builder rail, a member effective in one position to engage and support said rail inbunch building position, and mechanical means to move said member from such position after a desired bunch is wound and to thereby restore said builder rail to normal running position.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our, names to this specification.

SAMUEL F. ROCKWELL, JOSEPH WV. RANDALL. 

